England’s fifth defeat of their World Cup title defence continued their abject slide towards elimination.

Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler’s side would become only the third defending champions to exit at the group stage, and the first in 24 years, and are on course for one of the worst ever records for an established cricketing nation after defeat to India.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how they compare.

Champions Trophy trapdoor

An additional alarming element of England’s losing run is the possibility they could fail to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy – a secondary event in importance but an embarrassing one to miss out on.

A change in format tying qualification to World Cup performance means England will need to climb from 10th to eighth, putting pressure on remaining games against Australia, the Netherlands and Pakistan.

Bangladesh, also on two points, face Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia while the Dutch, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all on four points.

England’s path to the Champions Trophy, therefore, surely involves at least two wins including beating the Netherlands by a sufficient margin to swing the net run rate in their favour – Pakistan, as Champions Trophy hosts, will qualify automatically.

To that end, England’s heavy losses so far put them in an even more difficult position. They suffered their heaviest ever defeat by runs, by 229, against South Africa and lost to India by 100 runs – not to mention Afghanistan by 69 – while their nine- and eight-wicket losses to New Zealand and Sri Lanka came with, respectively, 82 and 146 balls remaining.

Indeed, England are the first team to be bowled out in under 35 overs three times in a single men’s World Cup.

Worst defences

The West Indies won the first two World Cups then lost the 1983 final to India, who went on to reach the 1987 semi-finals.

Australia finished fifth of nine teams in the 1992 group stage as defending champions and co-hosts, missing out by a point after Pakistan got a fortunate no-result against England having been bowled out for 74.

Sri Lanka, surprise champions in 1996, finished fifth in Group A in 1999. Their record ranked 10th of 12 teams overall, ahead of only Kenya and Scotland and behind Bangladesh on net run rate, so is the nearest comparison to England’s efforts so far – though even then, Sri Lanka won two games and lost only three.

Australia won that tournament, their first of three in a row before reaching the 2007 quarter-finals. They and India have since reached semi-finals as defending champions.

Unwanted company

There have been 32 instances of a team losing five or more games in a single men’s World Cup, including England and Bangladesh this year.

Zimbabwe have suffered that fate five times and Bangladesh four, with three occasions each for Sri Lanka – all prior to their 1996 win – Kenya and the Netherlands.

Scotland, Canada, the West Indies and Afghanistan have done so twice apiece with one each for India, South Africa, Namibia, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and now England.

While the World Cup is a limited-overs tournament, Test-playing status has traditionally been the measure of the leading cricketing nations and six of those teams, accounting for 12 five-loss campaigns, have never played a Test.

Ireland and Afghanistan have played only seven apiece and Sri Lanka, while now established, had played only 39 up to the 1992 World Cup. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have played fewer than 150 each and have always been among the lower-ranked Test nations, leaving only India in 1992, the West Indies in 2007 and 2019 and South Africa in the latter tournament as close comparisons for England.

Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater has announced his retirement from football.

The 33-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of Leicester’s shock title triumph in 2016, earning a big-money move to Chelsea the following summer.

But he did not manage to establish himself as a first-choice player at Stamford Bridge and unsuccessful loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa followed along with disciplinary problems.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving after crashing his car in 2019, suffered an ankle injury in an incident outside a nightclub later the same year and head-butted then Villa team-mate Jota on the training ground in March 2020.

Drinkwater’s last appearances came on loan at Reading in 2021-22, following which his contract with Chelsea expired.

Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, he said: “It’s been a long time coming maybe, especially with the last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now.

“I think I’ve been in limbo for too long. I’ve been wanting to play but not getting the opportunity to play at a standard or a level where I felt valued. I’m happy not playing football but I’m happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport?

“It’s all I’ve known. It’s been my life since I was six, seven years old. It was never going to be an easy thing.

“If I was playing week in, week out and I had to say I’ve got to stop, maybe through injury or through just age, not being able to get about the pitch like I’d like to, I think it would be trickier.”

Drinkwater came through the Manchester United academy but did not make a first-team appearance before joining Leicester in 2012.

He was called up for the first time by England in March 2016 and made three appearances but was one of three players cut from the squad for the European Championship.

Christian Horner has left the door ajar for Daniel Ricciardo to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull next season following the Mexican’s retirement at his home grand prix.

Perez’s race lasted just 14 seconds after he crashed into Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the opening bend.

The 33-year-old had to watch Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen romp to a record 16th win of the season, while Ricciardo – who has already stated his desire to return to Red Bull – out-performed his modest AlphaTauri machinery to finish seventh after qualifying fourth.

Although Horner said it is Red Bull’s “intention” to honour Perez’s contract for 2024, he refused to confirm that the Mexican would remain with the world champions beyond this term.

Perhaps tellingly, he was also effusive in his praise for Ricciardo, lauding the Australian’s display in just his fourth comeback race as “remarkable”. It is possible that the two drivers could trade seats in 2024.

“Sergio has an agreement with us for next year and our intention is for him to be in the car in 2024,” said Horner.

“We will give him all the support he needs to ensure he finishes second in the championship.

“It was great to see Daniel perform so well and it endorses our decision to bring him back. I thought he was outstanding this weekend and if it was not for the red flag, he would have finished further up the order.

“It was a remarkable performance and he is back to his old self. He is relaxed and confident.”

Perez went for glory at the opening corner – perhaps sensing this could be his final opportunity to win on home soil – but he misjudged the move and collided with Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton took second to reduce the deficit to Perez to just 20 points in the race for runner-up in the championship.

“There is no prerequisite that if he doesn’t finish second, he is out of the team,” added Horner. “It is not as binary as that. You have to look at the circumstances.

“It was a tough moment for him in front of his home crowd and he was very emotional, but he wouldn’t be a racing driver if he didn’t go for the lead at his home race. It is a big loss for him in a car that was capable of being on the podium.

“He is a tough operator and that is why he is in the car, because mentally he has always been able to bounce back. He will brush himself down and turn it into motivation. He has the full support of the team.”

 

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Ricciardo won seven times for Red Bull before taking the surprise decision to move to Renault in 2019. He subsequently joined McLaren, but endured two poor years.

Ricciardo’s career looked to be over when he was dumped by the British team at the end of last season. But the 34-year-old has performed admirably – despite being absent for five races with a broken wrist – since being handed a second chance with Red Bull’s junior team. Indeed, his seventh place in Mexico was AlphaTauri’s best result of the year.

Ricciardo will be back in action at this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix – the first of three concluding rounds this season.

Joel Embiid scored 35 points as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised past the winless Portland Trail Blazers 126-98.

James Harden, who has been in dispute with the 76ers, watched on from the bench as the reigning MVP Embiid added 15 rebounds.

Tyrese Maxey also posted a double-double as he finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Golden State Warriors fielded Draymond Green for the first time this season as Steph Curry saw off a Houston Rockets comeback.

The Warriors, up by 16 at one point, trailed by two in the fourth quarter before Curry hit four three-pointers inside two minutes to ease them away to a 106-95 win.

Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points with Paul George and Russell Westbrook each adding 19 as the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 123-83 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs committed 25 turnovers, five of them from star rookie Victor Wembanyama in his first game outside San Antonio.

The closest game of the night was in Sacramento where the Kings beat the Lakers 132-127 in overtime.

The NBA champion Denver Nuggets made it three wins to start the season as Nikola Jokic scored 28 points in a routine 128-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jokic added 14 rebounds with Michael Porter Jr chipping in with 20 points.

Trae Young grabbed 20 points as eight Atlanta Hawks players reached double figures to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-110 for their first win of the season.

Damian Lillard, who scored 39 points in his Bucks debut on Thursday, was held to just six as Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 26 points.

The chairman of Rugby Australia has said he will not quit following the resignation of coach Eddie Jones.

Rugby Australia has yet to officially announce Jones’ departure in the wake of the Wallabies’ failure to reach the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup, but Hamish McLennan vowed to continue in his role as he described the “sad Eddie situation” as a “hurdle we’ll overcome”.

The former England coach’s departure just nine months into a five-year contract has been widely reported in Australia amid further speculation he is heading for a second spell in charge of Japan.

McLennan told the Sydney Morning Herald in a statement: “I came to rugby to find a way to fix it when it all fell over and despite the sad Eddie situation, this is another hurdle we’ll overcome.

“I want to stay to deliver the 2027 World Cup in Australia. That has always been the big prize for Australian rugby.

“More destabilisation will just make matters worse, just when we’re about to break through. Life is not a continuous line of perfect calls and success.”

McLennan played a key role in bringing Jones back for a second stint in charge of Australia, the 63-year-old replacing Dave Rennie just a month after being sacked by England following five wins in 12 Tests in 2022.

But his return turned sour with just two wins in nine Tests – against Georgia and Portugal in the World Cup where they suffered losses to Fiji and Wales.

The failure to get out of the group stages for the first time came against a background of Jones denying he took part in an interview with the Japanese Rugby Football Union, both during and after the World Cup.

Despite multiple news outlets reporting that he was poised to meet officials in Japan next month for a second interview, Jones has repeatedly told the media that he was committed to Australian rugby.

Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday: “(I) gave it a run. Hopefully be the catalyst for change.

“Sometimes you have to eat s**t for others to eat caviar further down the track.”

The Golden State Warriors watched a 16-point lead disappear and were in danger of losing to the winless Houston Rockets.

That's when Stephen Curry took over.

The Warriors rallied for a 106-95 win over the Rockets on Sunday, thanks to Curry's late 3-point barrage.

Curry made four 3-pointers in less than two minutes, helping Golden State turn a two-point deficit to an 11-point advantage with just over three minutes remaining to seal the win for the Warriors (2-1).

 Curry had a game-high 24 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists, while Klay Thompson added 19 points for the Warriors, who trailed 87-85 midway through the fourth quarter before going on a 15-2 run highlighted by Curry's four 3-pointers.

Draymond Green played in his first game of the season after missing the first two contests due to a sprained left ankle, and finished with four points, five rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes.

With Green entering the starting lineup against the Rockets (0-3), Chris Paul moved into a reserve role - the first time in his 19-year career he came off the bench.

Paul had started the first 1,365 games of his NBA career - including the playoffs - the longest such stretch to begin a career since the NBA began tracking games in 1982.

The 38-year-old finished with eight points, seven assists and five boards in 27 minutes.

 

Fox, Monk power Kings to overtime win over Lakers

De'Aaron Fox shined in regulation and Malik Monk stepped up in overtime to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 132-127 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fox scored 37 points, with eight coming in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter after he returned from an ankle injury that forced him to get evaluated in the locker room earlier in the period.

After Fox carried Sacramento (2-1) in regulation, Monk came to life in overtime, scoring 11 of Sacramento's 17 points in the extra session. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in OT and finished the game with 22 points and also found Kevin Huerter for a key 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining.

The win spoiled the 20th anniversary of the NBA debut of LeBron James, who played in his first pro game on October 29, 2003 - also in Sacramento.

James' layup with 15 seconds to play forced OT for the Lakers (1-2), who battled back after trailing by as much as 15 and were still down seven with 90 seconds to go.

James finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes, while Anthony Davis had 30 points and 16 boards with three blocks.

 

 Balanced Hawks cruise past Bucks for first win

Trae Young scored 20 to lead eight Atlanta Hawks in double figures as the team rolled to a 127-110 win over the Milwaukee Bucks for their first victory.

Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 17 points, while Dejounte Murray and De'Andre Hunter each scored 15 for an Atlanta team that took advantage of an off-shooting night by Damian Lillard to pull away in the second quarter and grab a 68-47 half-time lead.

After scoring 39 points in his Bucks debut in Thursday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Lillard failed to score in the first half, while missing all seven of his shots. He finished with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting and turned the ball over six times after having none in the opener.

Overall, the Bucks (1-1) had 23 giveaways, leading to 22 points for the Hawks (1-2).

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 11 rebounds for a Milwaukee team that played without Khris Middleton, who is coming off offseason knee surgery and was rested in the first half of a back-to-back.

 

James Harden's season debut could be coming soon.

Of course, with the disgruntled NBA star who really knows for sure.

Harden participated in the Philadelphia 76ers' video session and walkthrough Sunday before their home opener against the Portland Trail Blazers - the first time he was with the team for a game this season.

Before the Sixers routed the Blazers 126-98, coach Nick Nurse told reporters that he expects Harden to practice with the team on Tuesday.

 

Harden, who has famously demanded a trade and critisized team president Daryl Morey, has been practising with the 76ers' G League as he works his way back into game shape. The 76ers have said he needs to "ramp up" his conditioning before he can make his debut.

"The report on him is, he had some good conditioning days," Nurse said. "All signs are positive, conditioning-wise. Just need to get in some live action."

He's expected to get his first live work with the team on Tuesday, and with the 76ers off until Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, it's possible he makes his season debut then.

Though, obviously, there's no guarantee of anything with Harden.

Harden returned from a 10-day excused absence last week and didn't travel with the Sixers on their two-game trip to open the season.

He reportedly tried to board the team flight to Milwaukee but was stopped by a security official and left the airport. The NBA then opened an investigating whether his absence from the 76ers’ season opener was a violation of the league’s new player participation policy.

In late June, Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season and then immediately requested a trade.

He could have declined the option and become a free agent but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.

In August, he then lambasted Morey while in China.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of,” Harden said. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of.”

Harden has since reiterated his unwillingness to play for Morey’s Sixers, but by reporting for practice this week, has shown some acknowledgement that his best chance at being traded would be to play well in Philadelphia until a partner is found.

 

Sunday marked a rough day for NFL quarterbacks with Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Kenny Pickett all suffering injuries.

Cousins' injury appears to be the most severe with Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell saying the team fears he sustained an injury to his Achilles tendon. 

The four-time Pro Bowl QB has never missed a game due to injury in his 12-year career but is in danger of being lost for the remainder of the season if the tendon is indeed torn, which has been reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

He is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

 

Cousins left in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers after being sacked by Kenny Clark - the second consecutive play he was sacked.

"We are fearing an Achilles injury," O'Connell said. "The severity of that, I do not know at this point, but I do know that's what our fear is at the moment."

Cousins threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a third straight win to even their record at 4-4. The 35-year-old is playing some of the best football of his career, throwing for 2,331 yards with 18 touchdowns to five interceptions while posting a 103.8 rating.

His backup, rookie Jaren Hall, made his NFL debut upon replacing Cousins and completed three of four passes for 23 yards.

O'Connell wouldn't commit to starting Hall next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, so the Vikings could look to signing a veteran free agent to take over the offence.

Stafford injured his right thumb in the Los Angeles Rams' 43-20 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The 35-year-old initially hurt the thumb on his throwing hand on a failed 2-point conversion pass in the final seconds of the first half and then exited for good after aggravating the injury after catching a 2-point try on the Rams' first possession of the third quarter.

Brett Rypien entered at quarterback the next time the Rams got the ball and completed five of 10 passes for 42 yards in his first action of the season. Stafford finished 13 of 22 for 162 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Coach Sean McVay said he didn't have an update on Stafford's injury after the loss, which dropped Los Angeles' record to 3-5.

Pickett left the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-10 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a rib injury.

Pickett was injured on a hit by defensive end Adam Gotsis after throwing a pass that fell incomplete in the final minute of the first half.

After the game, coach Mike Tomlin said he didn't know the severity of the injury to Pickett, who was 10 of 16 for 73 yards before exiting.

The Steelers have a quick turnaround, with their next game Thursday against the visiting Tennessee Titans.

If Pickett can't play, Mitch Trubisky would make his 56th career start - and first of the season.

Trubisky, who played in the second half of Pittsburgh's 30-6 loss to Houston in Week 4 after Pickett left with a bone bruise in his knee, went 15 of 27 for 138 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Jaguars.

Minnesota Vikings made it three consecutive wins with a 24-10 victory over Green Bay Packers, but celebrations were subdued after head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed he feared quarterback Kirk Cousins might have suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the contest.

Future free agent Cousins, who has never missed an NFL game due to injury, is set to undergo a scan to confirm the diagnosis and was replaced by rookie Jaren Hall, who looks to be Minnesota’s solution for now.

There was also bad news for New York Giants, who sent Tyrod Taylor to hospital for further evaluation after he sustained a rib injury in their 13-10 overtime loss to cross-town rivals New York Jets.

The Jets were on the wrong side of a 10-7 deficit with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter but were saved by late heroics from Greg Zuerlein, who drew things level with one field goal then booted in the winning points with another in OT.

Miami Dolphins held on to top spot in the AFC East after securing a comfortable 31-17 win over New England Patriots, where cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has recovered from his meniscus injury, made an interception in his season debut.

The AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars extended their winning streak to five with a 20-10 victory over Pittsburgh Steelers, Trevor Lawrence completing 24 of 32 passes for 292 yards.

Carolina Panthers secured their first win of the season as they edged out Houston Texans 15-13 while NFC South rivals New Orleans Saints finished the weekend equal in the win-loss column following their 38-27 victory over Indianapolis Colts.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns despite a niggling knee injury to ensure his side, who now boast a 7-1 record, continue to enjoy their dominance at the top of the NFC East with a 38-31 victory over Washington Commanders.

Dallas Cowboys, second in the NFC East, kept pace with their Pennsylvania division rivals with a decisive 43-20 victory over Los Angeles Rams.

Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari scored four goals in the last 20 minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround by beating Frosinone 4-3 in Serie A.

The visitors were seemingly cruising to victory following Matias Soule’s brace and a Marco Brescianini strike, but the comeback started in the 72nd minute.

Gaetano Oristanio scored Cagliari’s first and Antoine Makoumbou made it 3-2 shortly afterwards.

Just as it looked like the home side would be thwarted, Leonardo Pavoletti scored in the fourth and sixth minutes of stoppage time to secure the unlikeliest of victories.

Inter Milan returned to the top of the table as Marcus Thuram’s strike 10 minutes from time earned them a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

Napoli came from two goals down to snatch a point with a 2-2 draw against AC Milan.

Olivier Giroud scored two headers inside the first 30 minutes to put the visitors in control, but Napoli earned a route back into the match through Matteo Politano before Giacomo Raspadori levelled things up for Napoli, who had defender Natan sent off late on.

Udinese’s wait for a first league win goes on but Lorenzo Lucca’s second-half equaliser secured them a seventh draw of the season – 1-1 with Monza.

Atletico Madrid moved up to third in LaLiga with a 2-1 win over Alaves at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Rodrigo Riquelme’s near-post finish before Alvaro Morata doubled their advantage with a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner.

Ander Guevara’s consolation was not enough to stop the hosts from moving above Barcelona.

Isco scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Betis their first league victory in three matches – a 2-1 success against Osasuna.

Willian Jose gave the home side the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Osasuna thought they had stolen a point when Ruben Garcia rifled home from close range.

However, the all-important decider came in time added on when Isco smashed the ball in off the crossbar from inside the area.

Substitute Bebe also left it late to hand Rayo Vallecano a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice to give Sociedad the lead after Abdul Mumin had put the hosts in front, but Bebe smashed the ball into the bottom corner from outside the box to level the scores.

Elsewhere, Alex Berenguer also proved to be a last-minute hero when he scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw for Athletic Bilbao at home to Valencia.

In France, Kylian Mbappe scored at the death to snatch all three points for Paris St Germain over Brest and move them back to within a point of leaders Nice.

Goals from Warren Zaire-Emery and Mbappe gave PSG a 2-0 lead, but they were pegged back by goals either side of half-time from Jeremy Le Douaron and Steve Mounie.

The decisive moment came when Mbappe missed his initial penalty, but slotted home the rebound.

Marseille’s match against Lyon was postponed after the visiting team’s bus was attacked before the match.

Footage appeared on social media showing items being thrown at Lyon’s team bus, with head coach Fabio Grosso pictured on a stretcher and with a bloodied face.

The match was due to kick off at 1945GMT but French football’s governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel, soon confirmed the postponement following an emergency meeting.

Elsewhere, Ivan Cavaleiro and Bafode Diakite scored to secure Lille a 2-0 win over Monaco, while Akor Adams bagged a brace in Montpellier’s 3-0 win against Toulouse.

Rennes and Strasbourg drew 1-1, while it was goalless between Metz and Le Havre.

Borussia Dortmund continued their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season as they twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Omar Marmoush struck a first-half brace to hand the hosts a 2-0 lead before Marcel Sabitzer and Youssoufa Moukoko brought Dortmund level.

Frankfurt went back in front through Fares Chaibi, only for Julian Brandt to level again seven minutes from time and earn a share of the spoils.

Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top of the table with their eighth win of the season thanks to Florian Wirtz’s first-half strike and Noah Atubolu’s own goal in a 2-1 victory over Freiburg.

Charles Leclerc was subjected to boos by Sergio Perez’s disgruntled fans following his first-corner collision with the home favourite in Mexico.

Perez’s afternoon in front of his partisan supporters at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was over after 14 seconds when he drove into Leclerc at the opening bend.

Perez was forced to retire with damage sustained in the accident, as Max Verstappen claimed his 16th win – a new record for a driver in a single season – with Lewis Hamilton second and Leclerc third.

But as Leclerc was interviewed by Jenson Button in the Foro Sol stadium – which holds 30,000 people – in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s 71-lap race, the Ferrari driver was targeted by the locals.

“A lot of booing,” said Leclerc as he addressed the angry crowd. “Guys I had nowhere to go. I was a bit in between the Red Bulls and unfortunately I touched Sergio.

“It’s life. I damaged my car and unfortunately it ended the race of Sergio. Of course, I’m disappointed to end the race of Sergio like that but I really didn’t do it on purpose and I had nowhere to go.”

A record crowd of more than 400,000 spectators passed through the gates this weekend – with 130,000 here on race day – hoping to see Perez triumph or at least finish on the podium.

However, the 33-year-old, who hasn’t won a race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30 and now faces further questions over his future at Red Bull, stood by his banzai move.

“To be honest, I feel I would have let the fans down more if I didn’t go for it,” said Perez.

“I saw the gap, I went for it. I decided to take a risk, I knew it was going to be very risky, and I ended up paying the price.

“I’ve had some really sad moments in my career, but this is up there, and as a race, the saddest one, because of the end result.

“But at the end of the day, this is just racing. I go home very sad, but I also go very proud of my team and of myself. We gave it our all. I knew that today a podium was not enough for me. I really wanted to go further.”

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea must rebuild trust with their fans if they hope to reverse their woeful home form that has seen them win just one of their last 13 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge.

That run dates back to a 1-0 win against Leeds in March, since then they have picked up a single home victory against newly promoted Luton in August.

The 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday was their third home loss in six this season, and saw them revert to the hesitant, goal-shy habits that have been a feature during owner Todd Boehly’s 18 months in charge.

At one stage in the first half Pochettino was drawn into a confrontation with a supporter who challenged the contributions of striker Nicolas Jackson, and there was a notable souring of the atmosphere once Brentford took the lead just before the hour mark.

In all there have been just three home league victories in 2023, with the team having failed to score on 10 occasions in all competitions.

“The key is to create a good atmosphere,” said Pochettino. “I think you need to be in the right way with the fans, with the team. The team need to translate to the fans the idea that they can trust them.

“I think it (takes) time. We have many talented players but still they are so young. I’m not talking about the mentality of the club or the badge because Chelsea is about victories and a strong winning mentality.

“The team is young and we need to match this level of capacity to compete always at your best.

“We can talk about Cole Palmer who arrived in the last moments (of the transfer window) who is showing character, taking the responsibility to take penalties. It’s always about getting a good balance.”

Pochettino had 10 first-team players unavailable from the start against Brentford, with the in-form Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez joining a lengthy injury list before kick-off with minor knocks.

Captain Reece James was for the second consecutive game fit only for a late cameo for the bench, whilst Ben Chilwell was also absent.

“Not to complain or make excuses, but we need all the squad fit,” said Pochettino. “We have too many circumstances at the moment where we are competing but we are missing things. When we have all the players fit, I think the team is going to find its balance.

“It’s not easy to build trust (with the fans) and be mature and to accept sometimes that the game is going in a direction that you don’t want.

“You need to be calm in this moment to have the character, to be mature enough and to have the capacity to say ‘we play in (our) way’. You need time. It’s about the maturity that we need to get.”

Max Verstappen equalled Alain Prost’s tally of 51 victories with an emphatic triumph at the Mexican Grand Prix – as Sergio Perez’s home race came to a sorry end after just 14 seconds.

Verstappen’s remarkable winning sequence, which now includes a record 16 in one season, continued in the breathless Mexico City air following two pulsating starts after Kevin Magnussen’s high-speed crash resulted in a reg flag at the midway stage of Sunday’s 71-lap race.

Verstappen mastered both getaways to draw alongside four-time world champion Prost, with only Lewis Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91) and Sebastian Vettel (53) ahead of the all-conquering Dutchman in Formula One folklore.

Hamilton impressed to finish runner-up, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Lando Norris drove from 17th to fifth, passing George Russell with four laps remaining on a strong afternoon for the Brit, in an event that Perez will want to forget.

As Verstappen sliced through the middle of pole-sitter Leclerc, and his Ferrari team-mate Sainz on the 830 metre charge to the opening bend, 130,000 Mexican hearts sank when an over-eager Perez crashed into Leclerc.

Perez, who started fifth, ran line astern with Leclerc and Verstappen as the trio stamped on the brakes from 200mph for the opening bend – and Perez, occupying the racing line, sensed his opportunity for glory. But his banzai move was badly misjudged.

The 33-year-old turned into Leclerc, and was sent airborne before landing back on four wheels and spinning into the run-off area. Perez limped back to the pits but the damage sustained to his machine left his race in tatters.

Perez banged his steering wheel with both hands in frustration. Children were left seeking comfort from their parents in the grandstands.

Perez’s Red Bull mechanics attempted a quick fix to get their man back on track. But after a handful of laps they conceded defeat. Perez departed his Red Bull cockpit to watch team-mate Verstappen gallop to victory.

Question marks hang over Perez’s future at Red Bull. He has one year to run on his deal, but the paddock is awash with rumours that he could be replaced next year.

Daniel Ricciardo is mooted as a possible candidate, and Perez’s first-corner disaster – coupled with the Australian out-performing his modest AlphaTauri machinery to take the chequered flag in seventh in just his fourth comeback race, will do little to dampen the speculation.

Perez last won a race in Azerbaijan on April 30, and his failure to finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez leaves his second place in the championship under threat from Hamilton. Indeed, the seven-time world champion reduced the gap from 39 points to 20 with his strong display.

For Verstappen, this was his 32nd victory – remarkably the same tally double world champion Fernando Alonso has managed throughout his entire career – from his last 41 appearances, dating back to his controversial triumph over Hamilton in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Hamilton, who has not won a race during that period, crossed the line a close second to Verstappen in America a week ago before he was disqualified for running his Mercedes too close to the floor.

He started sixth here, swiftly promoted one position after Perez’s crash. On lap 11 he blasted past Ricciardo for fourth.

Verstappen gave up his lead on lap 19 after he stopped for new rubber, with Hamilton in five laps later. Then on lap 34, the race was suspended.

Magnussen lost control of his Haas at 130mph through Turn 8. The Dane ended up in the wall following a suspected rear suspension failure. He swiftly emerged from his cockpit before his mangled machine caught fire.

The safety car was deployed but with significant damage to the tyre barrier, repairs were required, and the race was halted, leading to a 22-minute delay.

“That’s a joke,” complained Verstappen. “A red flag for what?”

The drivers lined up on the grid for the second standing start of the afternoon with Hamilton the sole man in the top five on the quicker, medium rubber.

But it was Verstappen who produced another scintillating getaway to leave the others trailing in his wake.

He set about building his gap, with Hamilton intent on taking Leclerc for second, and on lap 40, he did just that following a bold and gutsy move.

On the fastest straight of the year, Hamilton jinked to Leclerc’s right, dropping two tyres on to the turf and kicking up dirt at 225mph, before holding his nerve under braking for the first corner to make the move stick.

The British driver nursed his tyres to finish runner-up to Verstappen, 13.8 sec back.

Prost was 38 when he claimed his 51st and final win 30 years ago. Verstappen turned 26 only last month, with Vettel’s 53 triumphs now on his radar before the close of the year with races in Brazil and Las Vegas to follow ahead of the final round in Abu Dhabi on November 26.

Napoli came alive in the second half of their 2-2 draw with AC Milan after Olivier Giroud twice headed home for the visitors before the break at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Milan looked to be in complete control after the Frenchman bagged his brace in the opening period, but the momentum swung completely in the opposite direction after the restart when Matteo Politano halved the deficit in the 50th minute.

Giacomo Raspadori’s stunning free-kick from 25 yards ensured it was all square after 63 minutes of a thoroughly entertaining contest in the Campania capital.

Napoli were forced to play the final few minutes with 10 men after Natan was sent off, but neither side could find a winner despite both teams having late chances.

The evening opened with an excellent piece of defending by Amir Rrahmani to block a close-range Giroud effort after the ball had deflected favourably in the Frenchman’s path.

There was bad news for the Rossoneri when centre-back Pierre Kalulu went down and was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue, with boss Stefano Pioli was short of options with Malick Thiaw serving a suspension and Simon Kjaer suffering a muscle problem.

On came 20-year-old Marco Pellegrino, making his Serie A debut and himself forced off late on, but it was a man 17 years the debutant’s senior who would provide the spark Pioli’s side needed.

Giroud’s opener came thanks to a superb delivery from Christian Pulisic to set up the 37-year-old for a glancing header that caught the fingertips of Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret before going in.

AC Milan soon extended their advantage, this time Davide Calabria providing the cross for Giroud to nod into the bottom left corner after winning an aerial battle with Rrahmani.

The visitors were cruising and had multiple chances to make it 3-0 before the break, while Napoli had not managed a shot on target.

Napoli boss Rudi Garcia made a triple change at half-time and the switch quickly seemed to pay dividends for the hosts when Politano thundered a left-footed strike under the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Milan, who had dominated the first half, were suddenly on the back foot, somehow surviving a relentless spell from Napoli that would have left them ruing their earlier missed chances when Raspadori curled home the equaliser from 25 yards.

Natan was sent off after his clumsy challenge on Giovanni Simeone resulted in a second booking, but the visitors could not capitalise on the man advantage through four minutes of added time, coming closest through captain Calabria’s header into the side-netting.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nearly snatched victory for the home side, but Milan keeper Mike Maignan reacted quickly to keep out the Georgian’s sharp effort and ensure the points were shared.

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